A 16-month-old girl has been mauled to death by her family’s two pit bulls that previously attacked a postman and terrorised the local neighbourhood.

The toddler, Kavay Louis-Calderon, was found dead by the emergency services after she was attacked by her family’s pit bulls on Westmoreland Street in Akron, Ohio, at 10.30am on Sunday, 3rd October.

Local media said two adults, who were not the girl’s parents, had a heated argument in the house.

Lt. Michael Miller, the Akron police spokesman, told the news site Cleveland that during the argument the two dogs became very “agitated”.

Reports said the dogs launched themselves at the little girl and ripped her to pieces, leaving her drenched in blood.

The girl’s uncle found her severely injured in the house and called the emergency services.

Richard Turner, a neighbour who witnessed the attack, told WKYC: “That’s what I can’t get out of my head: Her screaming and the 911 operator carrying that baby out. That will always be with me.”

The emergency services transferred the toddler to Akron Children’s Hospital and she was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.

Akron Police chief Steve Mylett told WKYC: “They’re [the family] destroyed by this, they’re absolutely destroyed by this. Nobody wanted this to happen to this child.”

The dogs are reportedly well known to neighbours for being aggressive.

Jerry Smith, a local resident, said that one of the dogs attacked a postal worker “It bit his hand, bit his leg. They [didn’t do anything] about it, but they don’t deliver mail over there anymore.”

Turner said: “I didn’t let my grandkids play outside just because I didn’t know if the dogs were in the house.

“Because of the incident with the mailman, they should’ve, I think, gotten rid of the dogs.”

Summit County Animal Control has reportedly taken the dogs away.

WKYC said the family could be legally liable for what happened as they are responsible for the animals.

However, Mylett said: “I’m reluctant to lay blame or responsibility on anybody at this point.”

An investigation into the incident is underway.